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In
early 1996, a group of young men and women began traversing
the far corners of Bangladesh to show Muktir Gaan, a documentary
on the Bangladesh Liberation War, along with other footage
depicting the genocide committed by the Pakistan Army and
their collaborators in 1971. This documentary footage rekindled
the painful memories of ordinary people, and prompted them
to speak of the dreams they had had for their country, their
present frustrations and new expectations. The struggle did
not end in 1971. Muktir Kotha is a film about this continuing
liberation struggle, an unwritten history not found in textbooks.
It is a record of the ways in which ordinary people fell victim
to genocide, rape and other atrocities, but also how they
fought back with whatever means they had - spears, bamboo
shields, etc. It is a testament to the struggle still raging
in the countryside, a struggle for a more just and democratic
society - this was the dream of the liberation.
About the Director ...
Catherine Masud
is an American filmmaker who lives in Dhaka. She is a co-director
of the film and of the television company Audiovision. She
and her Bangladeshi husband, Tareque, are committed to making
creative documentaries that project a different image of the
people and issues of South Asia. Her credits include the following:
Muktir Gaan, Voices of Children and In the Name of Safety.
Catherine also works as a multi-media consultant where she
pursues her special interests in computer-based audio, video
and interactive media production.
Tareque Masud has been
actively involved in the alternative film society movement
since the mid-1970s. He is a founding member of the Short
Film Forum, the primary forum for alternative filmmakers in
Bangladesh, and in 1988 served as Coordinator of the First
International Short Film Festival held in Dhaka. His documentary
Muktir Gaan was a critical and commercial success, and won
the National Award for best documentary, as well as a Special
Jury Prize at Film South Asia '97, Kathmandu. His other credits
include The Inner Strength, The Conversation and Voices of
Children.
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